Identity and Death: an Empirical Investigation

Marcia’s (1966) identity status approach was employed in the examination of an existential domain of identity—conceptualized as a component of ideological identity, and operationalized as a multidimensional set of death orientations. Paralleling the identity status constructs of exploration and commitment, the underlying constructs of this domain were proposed to be death contemplation and acceptance. A sample of 149 university undergraduates under the age of 30 completed a questionnaire comprising scales representing the proposed dimensions of contemplation and acceptance, as well as a measure of identity status. A series of multiple regressions indicated that interpersonal achievement status was associated with neutral acceptance (the acceptance of death as a natural part of life); ideological moratorium status was associated with death contemplation, fear, and avoidance; ideological foreclosure status was associated with both approach acceptance (the acceptance of death as a gateway to an afterlife) and escape acceptance (the acceptance of death as a release from pain); ideological diffusion status was negatively associated with both escape and approach acceptance and a view of death as purposeful. These results suggest that existential contemplation occurs but is not resolved in the context of ideological identity development during adolescence and young adulthood. Death acceptance in this population seems more related to either a sense of self that extends to others (an achieved interpersonal identity) or the adoption of a traditional religious belief in an afterlife.